Is VPS Hosting The Right Choice for Running a Game Server?
Is VPS Hosting The Right Choice for Running a Game Server?
Day by day, video games are connecting more people from around the world. People from far-flung corners are now creating their own virtual worlds, full of rush and adrenaline. With the popularity increasing, gamers are now looking to set up their own game servers. There’s only one problem — this can be quite an expensive venture. Not just procuring the technology but operating and maintaining it as well. It also requires a certain amount of tech proficiency. Are there more convenient options available?
Yes. VPS Hosting is a good option to host your game server. It offers great benefits like full root access, the choice between Windows and Linux, good security, quick setup and 24/7 support. Sounds good? Let’s look a little deeper.
What Are The Requirements For a Game Server?
A VPS for a game server needs to have:
- Huge Storage: A gaming server should be able to process and store massive amounts of data, within a short period of time.
- Quick Processor and Sufficient Memory: The gaming server should have a low ping value, i.e., it should process the data and react to the player’s request within nanoseconds.
- High Computing Power: This is especially necessary if multiple players are accessing the server simultaneously. The server should be able to tackle the high number of requests seamlessly.
- Strong and Stable Internet Connection: Any disruption in the connection, even for a few seconds, can lead to loss of critical data (player’s score, gaming progress, etc.).
Gaming Server: Virtual Servers Or Dedicated Servers?
The kind of server you choose depends primarily on your resources and your proficiency in handling the server.
Windows or Linux?
Once you’ve chosen your server, you have another choice to make — Windows or Linux? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Let us list out what they are to help you make an informed choice. While Windows is quick to set up, Linux has fewer configuration defaults. Windows may have great support from game producers, but Linux has great technical requirements for a game server.
Linux: A free, open-source system, Linux has the advantage of a massive community which works on both updates and newer versions. With Linux, the choice of operating systems is greater — you can make your choice between Ubuntu, Debian and CentOS at any point (and for free). In addition, web hosters have the opportunity to offer Linux services at lower prices because no license fees are needed for this. Both Ubuntu and Debian are great beginner-friendly distributions, while experienced users can go for CentOS. This is a stable and flexible option.
Windows: A closed and proprietary software, Windows code cannot be accessed freely and cannot be changed. You must buy a corresponding license. If you purchase a Windows server, then by default, you get a Windows operating system license. You also get great support from the OS developer team.
How to Keep Your VPS Server for Gaming Secure
Now that you’ve chosen the operating system, the next big question is that of security. VPS servers come with their own security measures, however, there are some precautions you can take. After all, it’s vital to protect the root server and your email account.
Secure passwords, keeping the system updated, configuring the firewall and creating backups are just small ways to protect your game server from hackers.
Your VPS server should come equipped with measures like Monitoring Servers to watch your server round the clock and inform you in advance of any malfunctions or threats. With a Recovery Manager, you can access the game server in times of an emergency.
Make sure you install as few services as required. Every additional service you install reduces the security of your server as it becomes a potential target for threats and attacks. You can uninstall or deactivate the unneeded services by using the control panel (a configuration tool).
What’s the final word?
There are many game servers, but control over the conditions of the server makes all the difference. VPS servers are a great option for a game server as they offer flexibility, scalability and are independent in nature. As long as you do not use the server for any other services, the VPS Server can accommodate multiple players and the modular nature of games. You can also opt for SSD (Solid State Drive) based VPS Servers and avail faster boot-up time, quick access time, higher read/write speeds, instant response, and quick storage of data.
Hope this article helped you determine the benefits of a VPS Server for gaming. Conduct detailed research before finalizing your VPS provider, and ensure correct server optimization to get the best out of your VPS Server for gaming. Happy gaming!
